


Old Habits Die Hard

by Emielyn_xo



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Affairs, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Angst, Multi, Pre-Apocalypse, Reader-Insert, Secret Relationship, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, Teacher-Student Relationship, Teen Romance, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Walk Into A Bar, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2018-10-25 07:46:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10759857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emielyn_xo/pseuds/Emielyn_xo
Summary: After leaving your home town, a wreck of a relationship forces you to return and with it, an old skeleton finds his way back to you and back into the life you thought you had left behind.





	1. Chapter 1

It felt so strange to be back in Atlanta. Back home, where you belonged. You’d swore once you were out you were never going to come back, yet here you were, facing the old skeletons that you’d buried long ago. The apartment was cold, it didn’t feel like home. Unpacked boxes were scattered everywhere. Odd piles of clothes that you’d half unpacked, the odd box open and the contents strewn across the floor. The only signs that someone was actually living here were the cold cup of coffee on the table and the messy sheets of your bed. You’d never felt so alone, standing there in that apartment. But then you thought…you had. 

You’d spent four years of your life in New York, alone, with no friends or family. You thought you had your life made with Ben. The name still left a sour taste in your mouth, but then of course it would. He was such a big part of your life for so long and the torment he’d inflicted on you was still so raw. You thought he was the perfect gentleman when you first met him, all those years ago. Maybe you were just desperate, looking for a quick way out of this town, but he was your ticket. He came in and swept you off your feet. He was first man since…well, someone else who was just another bad memory. You remember the day you left, clear as day, your mum begging and pleading with you not to go, the huge pan of guilt you felt as you boarded that flight. Your life was just full of regrets and boarding that flight was one of the biggest ones of your life. The first month in that new city was fine. Ben worked a lot so you were on your own a lot of the time. You went out and explored, got yourself a job in a little bar. It all seemed fine, but then his true colours started showing. He became possessive. Obsessed even. He refused to let you out of his sight, refused to even let you work, but then, that just gave him more control over you. Pretty soon, you didn’t have a laptop anymore or a phone. The days since you’d spoken to your family turned into weeks, and then months. And then the accusations started. You were cheating on him. You were seeing other people, talking to other guys. He completely tore you down, bit by bit, without you even realising. You finally snapped to your senses though when he really lost control. The moment he laid hands on you that was it. The next day you called your mum, booked your flight and within 24 hours you were back in Atlanta. He tried to chase you down but your family did a good job of keeping him away, they were always so good at protecting you. 

You sighed as you grabbed your coat, slipping it on before grabbing your phone and locking your apartment behind you. Six months you’d been back in Atlanta and you still hadn’t managed to sort yourself out. You’d only just got an apartment but you were still jobless. You needed a job, and fast if you wanted to keep this apartment. You were twenty-four, you couldn’t keep relying on your parents for everything. But for now, you just needed to relax for the afternoon. The cold stung your cheeks as you made your way out of your apartment building and down the street. It brought back so many memories, walking through town when you were in high school with your friends. Memories took over your mind as you walked along the bustling streets, heading towards the bar at the end of the road. Hanging around outside when you were younger, trying to impress the older boys at your school. An absent smile spread across your face, remembering a time that seemed a lifetime ago. You pushed the door to the bar open and the smell of old wood and alcohol immediately hit your nose, giving you an odd sense of comfort. You took a deep breath as you walked in, inhaling the old familiar smell. It was much darker in here than it was outside, but you welcomed the warmth, feeling the blood pulsating in your cheeks as they warmed up. You looked around the bar before noticing a familiar face waving at you. You smiled as you made your way over to the booth, greeting your friend as you slid onto the bench. It had been so long since you'd been out with a friend and you immediately felt at ease being back in familiar company.  
"Hey stranger, I've been wondering when I was gonna see you again!" Becki was one of your oldest friends, you'd grown up together, you were practically joined at the hip when you were younger. "Still a whiskey and coke right?" She pushed the glass of dark liquid towards you and you accepted it willingly. It was as if you two had never been separated. You smiled, taking a sip and letting the taste liger in your mouth before swallowing.  
"God I've missed you Becki." 

It felt like you'd only been in that bar a few minutes when, in reality, it had been hours. The conversation had flowed, so had the drinks. Becki got you up to speed on everything that had happened whilst you were away, giving you the latest gossip. It felt so good to finally be at ease. You smiled to yourself as you made your way to the bar with your two empty glasses. You leant forward onto the bar, shaking your hips to the music. You see a guy behind the bar approaching you. Your eyes wandering over to him, following him as he makes his way towards you. He was tall, slim, a black t-shirt hung loosely over his body. His hair was pushed back, a moustache lined his lips. His white teeth gleamed through his smile. You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling back at him. He was older than you, but that had never bothered you in the past. You held up the two glasses at him, running your tongue along the back of your teeth.  
“Same again?” He takes the glasses from you, winking as he does. You give a small laugh and nod your head, dropping your eyes to the bar. He walks away for a few moments and then comes back with your drinks, placing them on the bar in front of you. “So, I know Becki over there,” he leans on the bar, shortening the distance between you two, pointing a finger over at Becki, “she’s a regular, but a pretty face like yours, I would know if I’d seen you around here before.” You smile, rolling your eyes at him.  
“I just got back in town. How much do you I owe you?” You reach for your purse but his places his hand on your wrist, stopping you. Your eyes meet his and you can feel your cheeks burning red.  
"It’s on the house. What’s your name?”  
“I’m not telling you my name. Stranger danger and all that.” You wink grabbing the drinks. “Thanks…for the freebies.”  
You laugh to yourself as you walk back to the table, handing Becki her drink.  
“What’s up with you?” She smiles at you as you slide back into your seat. You nod in the direction of the bartender.  
“That guy, he just gave me these…on the house.” She laughs.  
“Oh Simon. He can’t resist a pretty girl, especially not one like you.” She slaps her hand on top of your and you laugh with her.  
“As if. He seems to know you pretty well. Being a regular and that!” She shook her head, a big smile still plastered across her face.  
“A regular? Of course I was a regular, I used to work here!” She suddenly sits forward, leaning into you, “Hey you’re still looking for a job right?” You know exactly what she’s about to say.  
“No, no! I can’t work here, I mean…”  
“You need a job right? It decent pay, the hours can be a bit rubbish but hey, the tips make up for it. I’m sure Simon would hiring you in a second! Go ask him!”  
“No, I can’t. I’ll…I’m sure I’ll find a job soon.” She slaps her hand down on the table.  
“Yeah right! In this poxy town? Is this not the same town we both struggled to get out of? Hey, if you’re sticking around you’re gonna need money. Just go and ask him.”  
“Fine! I will…later. Let’s just enjoy the night, please?” She smiled, slouching back into the chair with her drink. You grab yours and relax back too, planning to enjoy the rest of the night.

“Come on gals, we’re closing.” Simon approached the table, grabbing the empty glasses that were in front of you.  
“Oh Si…come on, can’t we have one more cheeky one?” Becki winked at him. You could easily tell she’d had too many.  
“Come on Becki, let’s go.” You start to slide your jacket on as she stands up.  
“Alright, alright, just give me minute okay?” You roll your eyes as she makes her way to the bathroom.  
“You had a good night?” Simon smiles at you. You instantly smile back. There’s just something about his smile.  
“Yeah, it’s been really good thanks.” An awkward silence falls between you. You decide to finally break the silence. “I don’t suppose you need any bar staff do you?”  
“And who’s asking?” You look sheepishly at the table, fiddling with your hands. He lets out a small laugh. “For you? I’m sure I could find something for you to do…if you tell me your name.”  
“Y/N…it’s Y/N.”  
“Well Y/N…” He holds his hand out for you and you take it, sliding out of the booth to stand, “I’ll see you at 8 tomorrow, for a trial. Got to make it look legit to the others.” He winked at you and a huge grin spread across your face.  
“Thanks Simon.”  
“Don’t mention it.” He turns and walks away as you both hear Becki stumbling back from the bathroom. You help Becki to get her coat on and you both walk out into the cold night air. The blast of coldness against your warm cheeks is refreshing, pulling you back to sobriety. You wave Becki off as she jumps in a taxi, zipping your coat up and starting to walk down the street.

When you finally get back to your apartment, it doesn’t feel so bad. The night spent in good company had done wonders for you. You felt better about everything. As you climbed in bed you phone buzzed. You looked to see a text from Becki.  
_Got home safe, see you soon x x x_  
A sense of relief settled over you. You always hated leaving her when she was in a state but she always refused you taking her home. She lived on the opposite side of the town, but you didn’t mind. You would rather see her home safe but she was an independent girl. She knew how to look after herself. As you closed your eyes, you finally felt like things were gonna get better again. You finally had a job. It might not be the perfect job, but it was a job, and that meant money in your pocket. You felt the excitement brewing in your stomach, looking forward to your first shift tomorrow. For the first time in months, you went straight to sleep, at peace and happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader starts her first shift at the bar, and begins a blossoming friendship with her new boss

Your hands were shaking as you pushed open the door of the bar. It was 7:30pm, earlier than what Simon had told you, but you wanted to make a good impression. The familiar smell of alcohol and leather filled your senses but it made your nerves go even crazier. You’d worked in bars before, but since things had ended with Ben, your confidence was shot. You scanned the bar for Simon but he wasn’t there, or at least, you couldn’t see him. You took a deep breath before making your way over to the man stood behind the bar. He was around your age, his blonde hair was spiked, his white t-shirt clung to the muscles underneath it. As you edged nearer, you realised how much you were shaking. You tried taking some deep breaths, trying to calm yourself down. You smiled at the guy as you stepped up to the bar. He came straight over to you, flashing you a smile.  
“Hey beautiful, what can I get you?” You immediately felt your cheeks burn, a small laugh escaping your lips.  
“I…I’m here to see Simon. Is he around?” He laughs, motioning for you to follow him.  
“You must be Y/N. Simon said he had a new girl starting today, never said you were so pretty though.” He turns and winks at you, coming around from the bar to greet you properly. He holds his hand out for you.  
“I’m Jack.” You take it smiling.  
“Nice to meet you Jack.”  
“Come on, I’ll take you to Simon.”  
You follow him towards the bar of the bar. He walks until he comes to the door at the end of the hallway. He knocks on and you stand there with him, waiting. As the door opens, your eyes immediately meet Simon’s and you suddenly feel less nervous.  
“Y/N! You’re early. Come in,” He presses against the door, allowing you to slip into the office, “Thanks Jack, we’ll be out in a bit.” You turn and smile at Jack. He smiles at both of you.  
“No problem. I’ll get back to it.” He nods at Simon and walks off. Simon shuts the door, motioning for you to take a seat. You take a seat at the desk, placing your bag on the floor and slipping your jacket off. Simon’s eyes rake over your body. Your black vest top revealing just enough skin. His eyes wandered over your arms, across your collarbone, watching your chest rise and fall with each breath. You shifted in your seat, not even realising that it caused Simon to jump back to reality. He starts searching in his desk for something.  
“Sorry Y/N, I wasn’t expecting you yet, I’m all over the place.” He smiles at you and you can’t help but smile back at him.  
“I’m sorry, I just…I wanted to make a good impression.” He laughs, pulling some paper from the desk and placing it on the table.  
“I told you, the jobs yours. You don’t need to impress me. This is all just formalities. Hey, I’ll even pay you for tonight.” He winks at you and you feel all the blood rush to your cheeks.  
“You don’t have to do that Simon.”  
“No, I want to. I told you the jobs yours and seeing as you’re working a shift tonight, I’ll be paying you for it. Here, I just need you to fill these in and it’s a done deal.” He slides the paper across the table to you and hands you a pen. Silence falls between you as you start filling in the paperwork. It isn’t an awkward silence though. You barely notice it until he starts to speak again.  
“So where you from?” You answer without lifting your head from the paper.  
“Here. I mean, I’ve been away for a few years. I’ve been back….about six months I think.”  
“So that’s why I don’t know your face. What made you come back?” The question stops you dead in your tracks. You’d tried to avoid talking about it as much as possible.  
“A bad relationship.” As much as you tried to push Ben out of your mind, he was always there, lingering in the background.  
“I’m sorry,” he leans forward and squeezes your hand. The small gesture sends butterflies rippling through your stomach, “whoever he was, he was an idiot to let someone as beautiful as you go.” He winks at you and you laugh, rolling your eyes.  
“Yeah…like I haven’t heard that before.” You give a small laugh and he suddenly stands up.  
“Come on, let’s do some actual work. We can finish this off later. You can leave your things in here, I’m the only one with a key.” He opens the door for you both to exit. You squeeze past him, your faces becoming inches apart. You immediately feel your breath quicken, feel the blood rushing round your body. You were never this nervous around men, there was just something about Simon.

\--

As soon as you’d hit the bar the night went pretty quick. You and Jack worked great together, and as well as that, he was actually decent company. You hadn’t laughed so much in months. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing, being back home where you belonged. Simon had been out for part of the night, helping behind the bar. He seemed to know every single person that came in, you couldn’t help but finding yourself watching him. Each time he passed you on the bar that night, his hand would drift across the bottom of your back, his whispers in your ear, making sure you were ok. Even though you were working, you hadn’t enjoyed yourself so much in a long time. You felt free at last, actually able to enjoy yourself. Simon had gone back to his office after most the customers had left. That just left you and Jack to clean up. He was a nice guy, he kept you talking as you both made your way around the bar. You discovered he was only a few years older than you, but he’d worked here with Simon since he was old enough too. He didn’t live too far from your apartment either. At least you would have a friend close by. He shut the music off and the bar fell quiet and you sat down, taking a minute to relax.  
“Here.” He brings over an open beer and places it down on the table in front of you.  
“Thanks.” You smile at him before taking a sip. The cold beer was surprisingly refreshing. You relaxed back in the chair, enjoying the silence that fell between you.  
“You need a ride home? I don’t mind dropping you off.”  
“Oh..no it’s ok. I still need to finish off some paperwork with Simon. I’ll just get a cab home.” He looks disappointed with your words but nods to you.  
“Alright. How about you give me your number…just in case you ever need a lift.” You smile and agree, taking his phone and typing your number in. He smiles, giving you a hug and then shouting to Simon that he was leaving. As the door closed behind Jack, you picked up your beer and walked to the back to Simon’s office. The door was slightly open and stood there for a minute, watching him. He was counting money on his desk, bent over, you could see the concentration on his face. You’re not sure how long you stood there before he noticed you.  
“Y/N, what you doing standing there, come in,” He leant back on his chair, watching you enter the room, “I thought you’d gone with Jack.” You take a seat again across from him.  
“No, I umm…” you didn’t know why you’d stayed, there was just something about Simon that was drawing you in, “I need to finish off that paperwork.”  
“Don’t be silly, we can do that tomorrow. You got a lift home?”  
“I was just gonna get a cab…and I didn’t wanna waste my beer.” You smile holding the beer up. He laughs, staring straight back at you.  
“Well how about this? You finish your beer, let me finish cashing up and I’ll drop you off home.” You smile and nod. You weren’t usually one to let strangers drop you off home, but Simon seemed like such a nice guy, and as much as you hated to admit it, you’d always been attracted to older guys. As you sat there watching you could feel your eyelids growing heavier. You rested your head back against the chair, closing your eyes for what felt like a couple of second. You bolted up when you felt Simon nudge your leg.  
“Come one sleepy head, let’s get you home.” He holds his hand out for you. You take it, losing your footing as you stand up and falling into his chest. Your hands rest against it, feeling how firm it is beneath your hands. Your faces are inches apart as you look up at him, you can feel his breath against your lips.  
“I…I’m sorry.” You feel his hand glide up your back, pulling your body closer into his. He pushes a piece of your hair behind your ear, his hand softly grazing your cheek. You want to say something but the words can’t escape your lips. Your mind refused to let you think straight. His hand didn’t leave the side of your face, his thumb lining your jaw. You absently bit your lip as you stared at each other. That seemed to snap him back to reality.  
“No, I’m sorry,” He lets his hands drop away from you, leaning down instead to pick up your back and jacket, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

\--

The car ride back to yours was quiet. Hardly a word was passed between you and Simon apart from you telling him where you lived. You didn’t really know this man, apart from that he owned a bar, but that didn’t stop you wanting him. Your eyes kept making their way over to him, looking at him as he was driving. You could tell you weren’t the only one who was tired. He would occasionally rub his temples, trying to keep himself awake. As he pulled up outside your apartment building, you sighed. As tired as you were, you didn’t want to be alone again. You’d enjoyed being surrounded by people. Going back into that apartment felt like you were stepping back into your own head, with only the bad memories to keep you company. As you opened the door, Simon reached across, grabbing your hand.  
“Y/N, I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” You smile at him, relaxing back into the seat.  
“Yeah…if you want me.”  
“I do want you…” He leant over to you, and you found yourself leaning into his words, “At the bar…I mean…the jobs yours so…”  
“Yeah…I want _it_ …the job.” It was taking everything in yourself not to lean further and kiss Simon. Everything in your body was telling you to kiss him. The tension in the air was pushing you towards each other, but your brain was forcing you not to. You’d only just met this man, only just managed to get a job, in _his_ bar. Before you knew what was happening, his hand was resting on your cheek, his thumb drawing its way across your bottom lip. He didn’t take his eyes off you, not even for a second. You can feel the electricity coursing through your veins.  
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He drops his hand from you, leaving you free to leave the car. You immediately wanted his hands back on you. You forced yourself to step out of the car, waving to Simon as you did. Each step you took to your apartment, you fought the urge to turn around and ask Simon to come in. You just put the feeling down to being alone for so long and tried to ignore it. When you got into the apartment, you went straight to the window. Simon was still parked outside. You waited by the window until he drove off, and then you really were on your own again. You went about getting yourself ready for bed. As you climbed in, you found yourself thinking back to the last time you were in this town. To the man who had sucked you in back then. You thought of where he was now. The last time you saw him, he had been leaving this town too. But you hoped for his sake that he would never have to come back like you had. Your phone vibrated on the stand. You rolled over grabbing it to see a new message.

____ _ **Jack:** Hope you didn’t stay too late_  
___ **You:** No wasn’t too late. I’m back home now_ <  
___ **Jack** : Good. You got anyone keeping you company?_  
___ **You** : Haha, none of your business. Goodnight Jack_  
___ **Jack** : Worth a try haha, see you tomorrow._

You laughed to yourself. Jack was ok as a friend, but you couldn’t see anything more happening between you. He just wasn’t your type. You laughed to yourself as you thought of what Becki had said when you told her you were leaving with Ben. _He’s too young for you. I thought you liked older men_. She had a point. You just couldn’t stand the guys around your age. You liked someone more….experienced. Just as you started to drift off your phone vibrated again. This time the message got you excited.

____ _ **Simon** : Thanks for tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow right?_  
___ **You:** Definitely, if you’re sure you want me back_  
___ **Simon** : I want nothing more than to see you again_  
___ **You:** Is that so?_  
___ **Simon** : Hell yes. Wish you’d invited me in but didn’t wanna push my luck with such a beautiful girl_  
___ **You:** I’ll remember that for next time ;)_  
___ **Simon:** So there’s gonna be a next time? ___  
___ **You:** Maybe, we’ll see_  
___ **Simon** : God you’re a tease. Goodnight beautiful xx_  
___ **You:** Goodnight boss ;) x_

____

__

_  
_

The conversation got you all worked up again, thinking of Simon. You laid back, a huge smile spread across your face. It was just some harmless flirting with your new boss. Neither of you could deny the tension that was there, and you found yourself hoping that something would come of it. You closed your eyes, sleep taking over quicker than you thought, with Simon filling those lonely dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship between the reader and Simon takes a drastic step forward, but the return of an old memory threatens to ruin it before it's even started.

Several weeks had passed since you started working at the bar. For the first time in years, you felt a sense of normality wash over your life. A sense of freedom. Although the apartment still felt empty and cold, you were slowly making it your own, slowly unpacking the boxes. You looked forward to work every night, the chance at getting to see Jack…and Simon. As much as you argued against him, every night Simon would insist on driving you back to your apartment, making sure you got in safely every night. You looked forward to the drive back each night. The more time you’d spent with Simon, the more you’d come to like him. However, today was your day off, and for once, you weren’t going to spend it at the bar. As you walked through the town, you took in everything around you. The cold wind rustling the leaves, the people rushing past you, going about their days, the stream of cars that drove up and down the street. As you walked along, enjoying the day, you heard a horn sound. You turned puzzled, until you saw Simon’s car slowing as it came towards you. You couldn’t stop the smile that spread across your face. You’d seen him less than 8 hours ago when he dropped you off home, yet here he was again.  
“Hey trouble, what you up to?” Simon’s smiling face peered out from inside the car. You instant felt a wave of content wash over you.  
“You can talk,” You smile at him, “I’m just going to visit my mum. Haven’t seen her in a while.” He pushes the car door open for you.  
“What you waiting for? Get in, I’ll drop you off.” You knew it was useless trying to turn Simon down. He never took no for an answer so you smiled, shaking your head, and climbed into his car.

 

The car ride was nice. As usual, the conversation between you two flowed. You told him where your mum lived and he knew exactly where he was going. Driving down all the different streets, past your old school, it all brought back memories, some good…some bad…but you were just happy to be in the car with Simon. As you pulled onto the street, the familiar feeling of excitement spread through you. As Simon neared your mum’s house, it wasn’t there that your eyes fell, but to the empty house across the street. That house held so many memories, some amazing memories…and some not so great. And now it was nothing more than an empty shell, nothing like you remember…

 

_It was the last week of the summer holidays before school was due to start again. You sat on the porch, watching as your brother loaded up his car, getting ready to leave for college. The sun was beating down on you as you lazily teased him, watching him pack each box into the small car. The street was quiet, but the sounds of kids playing echoed from the back gardens. Your eyes wandered around the surrounding houses, sprinklers going, the soft rustle of the leaves in the breeze. The slight breeze was refreshing in the warm heat. As you and your brother threw idle insults at each other, you noticed a car slowly driving down the road. You stood up on the porch, shielding your eyes from the sun, watching. Your brother stopped what he was doing and joined you on the porch, trying to get a better look. You watched as the car slowed down, before turning into the driveway of the house across the street. The house had been empty for a few months, even though the sold sign had been there for just as long. You figured they must have moved from a different state. Why else would the house be empty for so long. The driver's door swung open and you couldn't stop you mouth from falling open. Your eyes scanned over the figure that climbed out. He was tall, you guess at least 6 foot, if not taller. His black hair was slicked back, large sunglasses covered his eyes. You noticed he had a rough beard covering the lower half of his face, you could just make out the odd flecks of grey in it. You were so focused on him you didn't notice a woman exit the other side of the car. You didn't realize you were staring until your brother's shouts bought you back to reality._  
_"Mom! We got new neighbors!"_  
_You nudged him hard, hoping that the new neighbors hadn't heard his shouts. Luckily, they didn't and you watched as they began to unload boxes from the back of the car. Your mom came running out and joined you on the porch, eyeing up the strangers. You didn't know what it was about him but you couldn't take your eyes off him. He's was older. A lot older. At least twice your age but something about him was drawing you in._  
_“Come on Y/N, let’s go say hi.”_  
_Your mom nudged you, walking back into the kitchen to grab something. Your brother laughed and went back to packing the car. You rolled your eyes. Your mom always did this with the new neighbors, she just had to make herself known. Not that it was a bad thing. You were pretty friendly with everyone on the street thanks to your mom. She came strolling back out of the house with a bottle of wine. You chuckled to yourself as you followed your mom across the street. As you got nearer to the house, the man had vanished from sight, but you could make out the woman unloading bits from the car._  
_“Hi there! We’re from across the street. Just thought we’d pop over and introduce ourselves, I’m Gabby and this is my daughter Y/N,” You rolled your eyes. You could recite your mom’s little intro, it was the same every time. She gave you a sharp nudge forward and you smiled at the woman. She was pretty, around the same age as your mom. Her long black hair was tied back, the odd few strands fell in front of her face. She held out a hand to your mum and then to you._  
_“I’m Lucille. Let me just get my husband.”_  
_She walked away into the house and emerged a few seconds later followed by the man you had seen. You were right about him being tall. He towered over all of you, his dark brown eyes boring into you. He smiled at you and you could almost feel yourself getting lost in it. His voice was deep, gravelly. You couldn’t ignore the fire that ripped through you at the sound of it.  
__“I’m Negan.”_

__

 

As Simon pulled up outside your mom’s, you thanked him, leaning over instantly and planting a small kiss on his cheek. You felt the heat rise in your cheeks as you realized what you had just done.  
“Oh my god…I’m sorry Simon…it was just…” He laughed, shaking his head.  
“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t mind.” He smiled at you and you instantly smiled back. You hadn’t felt so comfortable around a man in so long. Simon was just what you needed right now.  
“Bye Simon.” You exited the car with a huge smile on your face. You turned and waved to him as he drove off.

\--

Later that night, you finally managed to set your tv up. You sat on the sofa, idly flicking between channels when your phone buzzed. The excitement rose in you when you saw Simon’s name on the screen.

__**__Simon:** Did you have a good time with your mom?  
**__You:** Yeah thanks. Did you have a good afternoon?  
**__Simon:** Well about as good as sorting stock can be. You at home?  
**__You:** Yeah, where else would I be lol  
**__Simon:** Look out the window 

You frowned at your phone, wondering what the hell he was on about. You climbed off the sofa, wandering over to the window. You laughed to yourself as you opened the curtain, your eyes falling straight on Simon leaning on his car on the street below. 

**__You:** What you waiting for then? Come up, the doors open 

__

You walked away from the window, throwing your phone on the chair as you went to unlock the door for him. You walked over to the fridge and looked at how empty it was. You grabbed two beers out, deciding that if Simon as hungry, you’d order something, but you didn’t need to worry about that. He knocked before he walked in and your nose was immediately met with the smell of chinese food. He put the take away on your counter and took the beer off of you.  
“What are you doing Simon? You didn’t have to buy food.”  
“Well, I thought if I was stopping by I might as well bring something to eat.” You grabbed some plates and motioned for him to sit down on the sofa.  
“Well, you do know how to keep a girl happy.” You both laughed and you sat down next to him. “So what’s up?”  
“Why’s anything got to be wrong? I was just passing and thought you might want some company.”  
“So you just happened to have chinese food in your car?”  
“Well...I might have picked that up special.”  
You both spent the night laughing and eating. You didn’t know what it was about Simon but he just made you feel so relaxed, so at ease, something you hadn’t felt for a long time. Simon was a lot older than you, but you couldn’t deny that there was definitely an attraction there. As the night drew on you, you began to loosen up even more around him. Simon had relaxed back on the sofa and so had you, resting your legs across his lap. His fingers traced up and down your exposed legs.  
“Y/N I’m really glad you came back to town.” You looked at him, a quizzical look spread across your face.  
“Why’s that?”  
“Cuz if you didn’t, I wouldn’t have met you and I wouldn’t be sat here now enjoying myself.” You blush straight away and looked down at your beer.  
“I’m glad I came back too.”  
The words were like a magnet and you felt yourself being instantly drawn towards him, and he moved towards you too. You put your beer down on the floor and reached your hands up to his face. Your first thought was that he would pull away but he didn’t. He was instantly drawn into you, straight to your lips. You couldn’t help the small moan that escaped your lips as they connected with Simon’s. It had been so long since you’d had proper physical contact that the whole thing felt incredible. His hand immediately went to the back of your head, pulling you deeper into the kiss. You couldn’t help but pull him down to lay on the sofa, his whole body pressed against you. You couldn’t tear yourself away from him, your touch tracing his lips every time he pulled away. His hand traced the outline of your body, first over your top, and his fingers slipped underneath, brushing against your clammy skin. Your body was on fire with each touch, with each kiss. His hand pushed your top up further and further until he was able to slip it off over your head. You knew what was going to happen, and every inch of your body was hoping for it. Your hands made their way down to his belt, fumbling with it trying to get it undone. His lips left yours, slowly making their way along your jawline and down your neck. He grasped a handful of your hair, gently pulling your head backwards, exposing more of your neck to him. Just as you managed to get him belt undone you heard a ringing. You both tried to ignore it but it wouldn’t stop. Simon’s phone.  
“Oh fuck sake,” he groaned before tearing himself away from you and looking at the phone. You noticed his face drop when he saw the name on the screen, but you didn’t catch who it was. He immediately jumped off you as he answered the phone. Whoever was on the other end was getting him riled up. You watched him pace back and forth, rubbing his temples as he spoke. You suddenly felt exposed, laying there on the sofa without your top on. You sat up and grabbed your discarded top from the floor. Simon stopped talking and you looked over to him. A look of worry had settled over his face. He looked over at you, a sad look in his eyes. He came towards you and kissed you on the cheek.  
“I’m really sorry Y/N, I need to go. Something’s come up.” Before you could even speak he was at the door.  
“Simon wait…” He was gone before he even heard your words. You could feel the anger bubbling up inside of you. You stormed over to the window and watched him climb in his car and speed off. Who was it that he was speaking to? Jack?...His wife? You pushed the thoughts from your mind. He’d walked out on you mid…whatever the hell that was…without an explanation. You grabbed another beer from the fridge and plonked yourself back down on the sofa. No less than 10 minutes after Simon had walked out on you, your phone began to ring. It was your mom. You looked at the time, 11.35pm. What was she doing ringing you at this time? She never rang you this late at night.  
“Mom, what wrong?” Without even a pause, the words spilled from the phone.  
“He’s back Y/N, he’s come back.” Your mouth fell open, your phone dropping from your hand. You knew exactly who she was talking about.

 _Negan_.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the surprises of the night before, a stroke of good luck seems to come the reader's way, but in what shape?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so sorry this has taken so long to get this chapter out! I've had serious writer's block, mixed with stresses of the real world but I finally feel like I've overcome that now! Whoever is still reading this thank you so much for still sticking with me! <3

You hadn’t slept at all that night. The words had been ringing in your ears all night. _He’s back_. The whole night had been one huge mistake, from Simon to your mom’s words. Embarrassment was clouding over you as your thoughts drifted to the previous night. _How could I do that? How could I have kissed Simon?_ You laid in bed, replaying the night over and over again. Simon was your boss. You knew you’d crossed the line, and then him rushing out on you like that. None of it made sense. He was just as into it as you were. Or at least you thought he was. There was no denying that there had been some serious sexual tension between the both of you and last night it had just come to a head. It had been so long since you’d felt that comfortable with a man. Everything with Simon had just seemed to happen naturally, as much as you’d been trying to resist it. But now…you weren’t sure how things were going to be between you. He’d left so quickly you didn’t even get a chance to say bye. And who was on the phone? Who would make him rush off so quickly like that, especially with what was happening between you two? A kid?....A wife? The thought sent shockwaves through your body. You weren’t doing that again. You’d been the other woman before and the whole thing…well…from your mom’s phone call it sounded like it was coming back to haunt you. _Negan_. That name still sent chills down your body. You were completely and utterly in love with him, completely consumed by him. You didn’t even realise it at first.

 

_It was a week after you’d first met Lucille and Negan. You had seen them on the odd occasions when you’d been going out or coming home, but you’d never shared more than a smile. Your mom, on the other hand, had been talking with Lucille every day. By how friendly they were you would have thought they’d been friends for years, not days. You were back to school in a few days. Your last year. You were finally turning 18. It felt like this year was going to be the best one yet. That morning you woke up with a huge smile on your face. You climbed out of bed, feeling the warm sun beating down through your window. You grabbed a towel and went to the bathroom, turning the shower on before stripping off. As you held your hand out to test the water, you realised it was cold. The flow slowed until there was nothing left but a few drops of water. You rolled your eyes, grabbing the towel and wrapping it around you._  
_“Mom!...Mom!” You stomped down the stairs, annoyance radiating from you. “Mom! What’s wrong with the water?!”_  
_You stopped dead in your tracks when you saw the figure of a man laying under the sink, a bag of tools next to him. You gripped the towel close to your chest._  
_“Excuse me?”_  
_Your words made the man jump and he got up from under the sink. The moment you realised who it was you immediately regretted being stood there in just a towel. Negan. His dark brown eyes burned a hole into you. You immediately felt small and vulnerable, with nothing to protect you but a towel. Those feelings melted away though when a smile spread across his face._  
_“Y/N right? Sorry, your mom let me in, she’ll be back soon. Said your sinks been playing up so I came to fix it. I didn’t mean to scare you.”_  
_He took a step towards you and at the same time you took a step back._  
_“No it’s fine. She never said you were coming over…I…I should go get dressed.” You turned to leave but his voice stopped you. It sent ripples through your body._  
_“Don’t get dressed on my account. You still want that shower?” You turned and your gaze fell straight to his. His eyes didn’t leave yours for a single second. In that moment, you couldn’t even speak. You felt his whole gaze consuming you. “Y/N?” You snapped back to reality._  
_“Oh…umm…it’s not working. I mean, the water stopped.” He let out a small laugh that sent vibrations through you.  
_ _“Go on, I’ll turn it back on for you. I can hang around for a while till you’re done.” You nodded and turned, leaving him behind to go and get your shower. You felt nervous knowing you were in the house alone with him._

_You showered quickly, not wanting to keep Negan waiting. You slipped on shorts and a top and hurried back downstairs. Negan was sat at the kitchen table, idly turning the wrench in his hand. You stood in the doorway, watching him for a moment. Your eyes couldn’t help but wander over the muscles in his arms, over his chiselled jaw. You didn’t realise his eyes were locked onto you as you stared at him. You felt embarrassed when you noticed he was watching you. He stood up from the table and walked towards you. You could feel your heart beating in your chest, heat spreading through you as he got closer. He was so close now that you could feel his breath warming your cheek._  
_“I…I’ve…finished.” Your voice was shaking. A smirk spread across his face.  
_ _“I can see that. You’re still wet.” He winked at you and you could feel your knees going weak. Your mouth fell open slightly as you tried to think of something to say, but the words escaped you. You turned on your heels and ran back upstairs to your room. What was that? Was he coming onto you? You shook the thoughts from your head, realising how ridiculous they were. He had a wife, not to mention he was old enough to be your dad. You pushed it all out of your mind and avoided leaving your room until your mom was back. But still…you couldn’t help but catch yourself thinking about him when you weren’t concentrating._

\--

Your heart raced as you walked into the bar that night. You hadn’t heard anything from Simon, which was probably for the best. You told yourself not to text him, you knew you were bound to say something you’d regret. Plus, the way he’d rushed out on you last night, you weren’t sure you even wanted to speak to him. You just hoped that tonight would be busy, that way you could avoid Simon all night. Luck wasn’t on your side as you pushed the door to the bar open. There were a few regulars seated around the bar, but it wasn’t busy in the slightest. Jack was lent against the bar, talking to a regular. You smiled to him as you walked over.  
“Just gonna put my bag in the office and I’ll be out.”  
“Sure thing, take your time, we’re not busy.” He winked at you as you walked towards the office.  
The office door was closed which was unusual for Simon. You knocked on, not wanting to just walk in, but there was no answer. You knocked again and listened. There was no movement inside. You pushed the door open and was met with darkness. Simon wasn’t here. You frowned, scanning the room. Everything was untouched. He hadn’t been here at all today. You chucked your bag onto the chair and made your way back out to Jack.  
“Where’s Simon?”  
“Don’t know. He rang me earlier asking to open up for him. Said he had some business to take care of.” You furrowed your brows at him. Why hadn’t he rung you? You’d not even had a text. You couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy overcome you. Who was so important that he couldn’t even text you? _I’m so stupid. He saw me coming._ You couldn’t help but feel used. You tried to push the thoughts from your mind and focus on the night but you couldn’t. Simon was the first guy you’d gotten close to since Ben and now you felt as bad as what you did with him. You tried to focus on the night, hoping to finish as quickly as possible and be back home away from any reminder of Simon. 

\--

“You get going Y/N. There’s not much left to do.”  
“You sure? I don’t mind staying.”  
“No get going. I’ll be fine.” You nodded and threw the cloth back onto the bar.  
As you approached the office, ready to grab your bag, you noticed the light was on. Jack hadn’t left the bar all night and you were sure you’d turned the light off when you came out. As you neared the door, you could see your bag was untouched, still laying on the chair where you’d thrown it. You pushed the door but before you took a step in you saw a figure leaning on the desk, head in his hands. Simon. You heart began racing. You didn’t know what to say to him. You didn’t even want to be near him. Things just felt so awkward after last night. You took a deep breath and stepped into the office, deciding not to say anything to him. If he couldn’t even send you a text, you weren’t going to waste your breath on him. You grabbed your bag off the chair and saw movement out of the corner of your eye, but still, he didn’t speak to you. You clenched your jaw, resisting the urge to let him know just how angry you were. As you turned to leave he finally stopped you.  
“Y/N…wait…” You turned your head to look at him. He looked as though he hadn’t slept at all that night, like the world was on his shoulders. “I’m really sorry about last night. Something just came up.” Was that all he had to say?  
“It’s fine.” You took a deep breath and began to walk out when you felt Simon’s grip around your wrist.  
“Y/N please, let me explain.” You could see the hurt in his eyes. In your mind, you were telling yourself no, but just looking at him, being this close to him, it was making you want him again. You had to control yourself.  
“I need to get home.”  
“Let me drive you then. Please Y/N, just let me explain. I don’t want to hurt you.”  
“Kinda hard when you just bailed on me. Not even a text Simon.” He loosens the grip on your wrist, turning to sit back down.  
“I know, I am sorry. It’s just….it was a blast from the past that’s all. Threw me off.” He sighs, resting his head back in his hand. He looks worn out. You place your bag on the floor and walk over to him, leaning on the table in front of him.  
“Who was it?” He reaches a hand out and rests it on your hip. The feel of his touch sends ripples through your body.  
“Just an old friend.”  
“A girlfriend?” You can’t stop yourself. Simon looks up to you, shakes his head and then pulls you onto his lap. You push your hands against his chest, trying to make some distance between you, but the feel of his chest beneath his shirt only made you melt further into his arms.  
“It’s nothing like that. An old friend got back into town last night, he was in some trouble. If it was anyone else I wouldn’t have gone. Come on Y/N, let me make it up to you.” He grabs your hand, pressing his lips to it, the soft gesture making you like putty. His words didn’t even properly register in your mind.  
“Simon…don’t mess me around.” He places his hand on your cheek and pulls you towards him, softly pressing his lips to yours. Instinctively, you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. Every time you were near Simon it was like a magnetic force pulling you together and you couldn’t fight it. His hand caressed your cheek as the other wrapped around your back, sliding underneath your top to trace along your skin. You feel fire burning through your body, your need for him consuming you. You pull him deeper into a kiss when he stands up and places you on the table. He leans over and slams the office door shut, then positions himself between your legs as he kisses down your neck. You let out a small moan as he kisses the sweet spot on your neck.  
“Are you sure about this Y/N?” Your breathy moans should have been enough confirmation for him but they weren’t. “Y/N?”  
“Yes…Yes Simon…Yes.”  
His hands went to work, undoing your jeans. He pulled them down and you kicked off your shoes. You undid his belt and pulled his trousers and boxers down, allowing his erection to spring free. You couldn’t help but gasp as your hand wrapped around it, feeling how big he was. He smiled against your lips, obviously pleased at your reaction. He pushed towards you, using one hand to keep you up and the other to bring your hips forward to him. He pressed himself to your entrance, wetness pooling there. You took a deep breath as he pushed himself into you, spreading your walls around him. You let out another loud moan and Simon pressed his lips to yours, trying to muffle the sounds.  
“Shh…you gotta be quiet.”  
You bit your lip and nodded as he began to thrust into you. You wrapped your arms around his neck as the thrusts quickened. You were trying hard to supress the moans that were wanting to escape your mouth. Simon nuzzled his face into your neck, occasionally nipping at the soft skin. You pressed your mouth against his shoulder, trying to muffle your moans which you could no longer hold in. With each thrust he went deeper and harder. You couldn’t contain yourself anymore and you threw your head back, letting out a loud moan. A hand came up over your mouth, willing you to be quiet. You could feel yourself on the edge.  
“Si…Simon….I…I’m gonna…” Simon’s grip on your waist tightened, as did your legs around his. You felt your walls contracting around him, massaging him into his own release. You felt tingles shoot through your legs to your toes, your whole body vibrating against him. He loosened his grip on you and you laid back on the table, tired and breathless. Simon pulls his trousers up, standing there for a moment, admiring you with a smile across his face. He holds a hand out to you, which you take and he pulls you back up to sitting, pressing himself against you again in a long, slow kiss. You absorbed every second of it, not wanting this night with Simon to end.  
“Let me take you home.”  
You nodded, pushing him away and standing up to put your jeans back on. You hadn’t felt like this for a long time, you didn’t want Simon to leave you for a second.  
When you were finally ready to go, he walked out of the bar with you, making excuses to Jack that he had only quickly nipped in, that he still had things to do and that Jack could shut down. You caught the look on Jack’s face when he saw you walking out of the bar with Simon. You couldn’t tell if it was sadness, disappointment or jealousy, but it was something bad. But you didn’t care. In that moment, you had everything you wanted. 

\--

Simon pulled up to your apartment, letting the engine click over.  
“I really enjoyed that. I’m sorry I ran out the other night.” You smile and lean over, pressing your lips to his.  
“I forgive you. Do you want to come in?” He looked at the time then back at you and you knew the answer before he even said it.  
“I really wish I could. I’ve got some things to sort out but how about I take you for breakfast in the morning?” You couldn’t stop the disappointment from showing on your face, but you’d settle for breakfast. You nod.  
“Breakfast it is.”  
You smile at him before leaving the car and heading up to your apartment. As usual, he didn’t leave until he saw you look out the window and give him the ok to go. You were saddened that, yet again, you were home alone, but the night hadn’t been a complete bust. Just thinking about what had took place in Simon’s office, not even an hour ago, sent ripples through your whole body. You decided to shower and then climbed in bed, leaving your phone in the kitchen. You fell straight to sleep, content with your relationship with Simon. He was a good guy, you knew it and for once you felt truly safe with him. As you slept, you didn’t hear your phone go off. One…two…three messages. But none were from Simon… 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mysterious phone calls of Simon's become to much for the reader, but her own past is slowly coming back to haunt her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I've been rubbish at updating lately! Thank you to all who are still reading <3 I really do appreciate all of you!

You were awoken by a loud banging on your apartment door. You rubbed your eyes as you climbed out of bed, reaching for your phone to see what time it was, but you realised you’d left it in the kitchen last night. You grabbed a discarded t-shirt and threw it on as you made your way to the door. A smile spread across your face when you saw Simon standing there, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his phone.

“Finally. What you been doing? I’ve been ringing you all morning.” You thought he was annoyed but the smile on his face told you otherwise. You stood to the side, letting him enter your apartment. 

“I’m sorry I left my phone in the kitchen last night. I don’t even know what time it is.” 

You laughed shutting the door. Simon shook his head at you, leaning on the back of the sofa and holding out his hand. You smiled and grabbed it, almost losing your footing as he pulled you towards his chest. He wrapped his arms around you and began planting kisses along your neck. You pushed your hands against his chest as you squirmed under his touch.

“Well…” He pulled back, admiring your sleepy look, “It’s half past nine and I do believe I promised you breakfast.” You couldn’t help but groan at the time. That was why you felt so tired.

“Simon! Half past nine! I’m not even fully functioning until at least 10!” He laughed pushing your hair out of your face.

“Come on lazy,” He playfully smacks your bum, making you jump slightly, “Go and get ready and then I’m taking you for breakfast…just like I promised.”

“Fine. Do you want a drink or anything while I get ready?” You turn to walk into the kitchen but he grabs your waist pulling you back. 

“I’ll sort myself out. Now, go and get dressed before we end up not going for breakfast.” He presses his lips to yours, your body instantly melted against him. You playfully graze his lip with your teeth and he lets out a subtle moan before pulling away. “Y/N…” You can’t help but let out a small giggle.

“I’m going, I’m going,” you walk towards the bathroom, flashing him a quick smile as you see his eyes glued to you, “Make yourself at home.” You give him a cheeky wink before walking into the bathroom laughing.

You made sure to leave the bathroom door slightly open. As you stripped off you caught sight of Simon taking a seat on the sofa, fiddling around with his phone. You weren’t sure what you wanted him to do but with the door let open, at least you knew the invitation was there. You gave him one last look before climbing into the warm water and pulling the curtain across. 

As you were showering, Simon sat down on the sofa, trying to make himself look busy by idly flicking through his emails. His eyes wandered up to see the bathroom door slightly ajar. His eyes widened as he saw you discard what little clothes you had on. He felt the urge rising in him to come and join you. The invitation was there. He knew under any other circumstances that door would have been shut, but you were more than just work colleagues now, the previous day had shown that very clearly. But he didn’t want to rush things. He sat there, tapping his phone against his hand as he watched you climb in the shower and pull the curtain across. His heart was beating fast and he could feel the blood rushing around him body. Everything in his body was telling him to follow you into the shower, but he couldn’t. He’d had many one night stands before, many women that he couldn’t even remember the names of, but he felt different with you. He’d spent many nights pulling women in bars to never see them again, but with you, there as something already there. This spark that he’d never felt before. As he sat there lost in his own thoughts, his phone began to ring. He looked at the name and the familiar sense of uneasiness washed over him. He jumped from the chair, answering the phone.

You wrapped the towel around yourself, your hair still dripping wet. As you exited the bathroom you looked around Simon, but he was nowhere to be seen. You frown, wondering where he had gone. You were slightly annoyed that he hadn’t took your open invitation to the shower, but now he’d vanished. You clutched at your towel and stopped over to the kitchen, looking for your phone. Just as you found it, Simon came back into the apartment.

“Simon! Where did you go?” You folded your arms, frowning at him.

“I’m really sorry Y/N. I had a call…” His eyes wander over you, your skin still damp and glistening in the morning light, “Wow…Y/N…you look even more beautiful than usual.” You smile and roll your eyes.

“I’m gonna get dressed. I’ll be 5 minutes. Try not to do a runner on me again.” You walk over and kiss his cheek, leaving him in the living room whilst you go and get dressed. You’d never noticed how many calls Simon got, but you shrugged it off. He’d assured you it wasn’t another woman and you wanted to believe him. After all, he hadn’t done anything to make you doubt him and he did own a busy bar. It was probably just work. You dismissed the thoughts from your mind and finished off getting ready.

\--

Simon had taken you to a little restaurant in town. It was busy, but you had the perfect table, in a quiet corner, by the window. Simon had ordered you breakfast, pancakes and strawberries, your favourite.

“Simon…this…it’s perfect. You didn’t have to go to this much trouble.”

“Don’t be silly. I told you I was gonna take you for breakfast and that’s what I’ve done, so just enjoy it.” He smiles as you take a bite of your pancakes.

“You know I would have been happy with just a Starbucks.” He laughs, shaking his head.

“Well, I can get you a Starbucks as well if you want,” you laugh, shaking your head, “There is another reason I bought you here though.” You stop eating at look at him puzzled, your heart suddenly thumping in your chest.

“What is it?”

“I wanted to thank you. You know you’ve been such a help at the bar…and to me. You’ve been great.” You couldn’t help but smile at his words.

“Oh Simon, don’t be silly. I should be thanking you. You gave me a job, got me back out there again,” you feel a slight heaviness weigh down on you, “If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be spending my days stuck in my apartment. You’re one of the few friends I have in this town.”

A comfortable silence falls between you both as you eat.

Simon’s phone rings and his expression changes when he sees who it is. He quickly excuses himself before answering. You watch him, puzzled. Whoever it was was certainly getting Simon worked up. As you watched him pace back and forth with his phone to his ear, you realised you’d not checked your own phone since last night, not that you were expecting there to be a huge uproar waiting for you. As your screen lit up, you felt your heart miss a beat. The number was unknown but you knew exactly who it was.

**Unknown** Hi doll face. How’s things?  
  
**Unknown** I’m back in town. Wanted to catch up with my favourite girl.  
  
**Unknown** Giving me the silent treatment? 

_Negan._ You’d been trying to ignore the fact that he was back in town. He was the reason you’d left in the first place. How did he even get your number? You’d changed it at least twice since you last saw him. The feelings came rushing back as you tried to force the thoughts of him to the back of your mind. But once Negan was in, there was no way of getting him out.

You noticed Simon walking back to the table and quickly shoved the phone back into your pocket, along with the thoughts of Negan. His face had changed. It was now tinged with…annoyance? You took a sip of your coffee, watching him sit down. You knew straight away what was coming.

“Y/N…I’m really sorry…”  
“You have to go?” You tried to stop the annoyance coming through in your voice but if Simon couldn’t hear it in your voice, he could definitely see it in your face. He placed his hand on top of yours and you couldn’t stop yourself from pulling back slightly.  
“I am sorry.” You push yourself way from the table and stand up, throwing your jacket on.  
“Don’t worry about it Simon. I’ll see you tonight.”  
You storm away from the table, tears welling in your eyes. You can hear Simon shouting your name but you refuse to look back, refuse to be sucked into this game he was playing with you. You had spent years being a booty call for someone who wasn’t interested and you promised yourself that wasn’t going to happen again. You were sick and tired of being peoples dirty little secret.

\--

_You’d only been back at school a few days but it had felt like forever. Now here you were, last period on a Friday. Gym. You could think of other things you’d rather be doing. Literally anything. The school had been buzzing with whispers of the new gym teacher. You hadn’t seen him yet but you doubted he’d be as good looking as the whispers said. You pulled on your top and slammed your locker shut. The sun was beating down on the track as you made your way to the rest of the girls. You could see a man standing in front of them, his white t-shirt gleaming in the sun. As you neared, you got the odd feeling that you knew him. His stance. His black slicked back hair. It was Negan. What was he doing here? You held your hand up to your face, shielding your eyes from the sun. It was definitely Negan. You heart raced as you walked towards the group. His eyes fell straight to yours as he carried on talking to the group. You stood there, shifting under his gaze, until the girls dissipated around the field._  
 _“Y/N, you’re late.” You shifted uncomfortably._  
 _“I’m sorry Negan, I…” He silences you straight away._  
 _“Don’t call me Negan. I’m your teacher, not your friend. This is a warning. You’re late again it’ll be detention. Do I make myself clear?” You frown at him. This seemed like a completely different Negan to the one you had met in the holidays._  
 _“Crystal.”_  
 _“Good, now go warm up.”_  
 _You could feel his eyes burning into you as you walked away. It was going to be a long afternoon._

_The lesson had been a shock to the system, that’s for sure. Negan had been on your back the whole time. Not matter what you did he was there, criticising you, pushing you. Your whole body was aching, your legs trembling slightly as you walked back to the locker room. You looked at your phone. _3.45pm_. It had taken you longer than usual to walk back to the locker room. All the other girls had left by now, you were the last one. You grabbed your bag, not bothering to get changed and made your way out of the school._

_The sun was beating down on you as you walked home. For once you were glad you’d left your gym gear on, even though the weight of your bag was causing you to walk slower than normal. As you made your way along the road your eyes turned to see a car driving down the street towards you. It looked familiar, but you couldn’t think where from. As it neared, the black Chevrolet Impala slowed down to a crawl. You stopped walking and watched it as it crawled to a stop right next to you. A voice called to you from inside. You bent down to see who it was, not wanted to get close incase whoever it was tried to grab you. You regretted your decision to stop immediately when you saw those deep brown eyes staring back at you.  
“Get in, I’ll give you a ride.” Negan smiled at you, a smile which was not returned. You rolled your eyes and lent back up, continuing to walk along the road. He had treated you like dirt at school today. You didn’t want anything from him. The car followed you at a snail’s pace. “Y/N, come on, get in.” You continued to ignore him, forcing yourself to focus on the path ahead. “You really wanna walk home in this heat? Just get in doll, I promise I won’t talk if you don’t want to.” He leant over and pushed the passenger door open. You stopped, having an internal argument with yourself…It was hot. Really hot. It would take you at least another 20 minutes to walk home, and with this heat, it would probably be longer. You were tired, you didn’t have a drink. The car ride would only be 5 minutes, if that, and like Negan said, you didn’t have to talk to him…You reluctantly turned, throwing your bag in the car first and then climbing in after. He was right. He didn’t talk to you. He only occasionally looked over and smiled at you. You couldn’t help but watch him as he drove. Your eyes took in every bit of him. He looked different now he wasn’t in the gym stuff. He wore black trousers and a white shirt, just enough buttons undone for you to see the start of his chest hair creeping down beneath the fabric. He looked different without the beard, you could see his strong jawline perfectly framing his face, the way he occasionally licked his lips as he concentrated. _

_“I can feel you watching me doll.” He glanced over, letting out a small laugh. You quickly shifted in your seat, the heat bursting into your cheeks._

_“I…I’m sorry.” His hand reached over and landed on our thigh, giving it a small squeeze._

_“What you sorry for? I should be sorry. I didn’t mean to be so hard on you today.” You couldn’t move your eyes off his hand. The words struggled to come out of your mouth._

_“I..umm…yeah…you were an ass.” He let out a laugh and took his hand away from you, your thigh still burning hot from where he’d just touched you._

_“I know doll, I’m sorry, new school and that, I didn’t want anyone thinking I had favourites already.” He looked over and winked at you. You felt the heat rising through your body. You didn’t even know this man properly, yet he was making you feel things you’d never felt before. You didn’t know what to say to him, you just sat there smiling sheepishly to yourself._

_You arrived home quicker than you thought you would. The drive was short but your mind was completely awash with Negan now. You thanked him as you climbed out, shutting the door behind you. He leaned across to the window, motioning you before he drove away._

_“If you ever want a ride doll, just come on over, or come to my office. I’ll give you a ride.” He winked at you before pulling off and turning onto his drive. You stood there for a moment, smiling to yourself. You’d completely forgiven how he’d treated you at school._

_That night you sat at your window, taking in the cool evening air. Negan had been playing on your mind since he’d left you. You told yourself how ridiculous you were being. It was just a stupid school girl crush, you didn’t even know the man. He was your neighbour, he must have been at least twice your age. Stupid. As you sat there observing the darkened street, a light turning on across the road caught your attention. Lucille in the bedroom, getting herself ready for bed. You watched as she tied her hair up before walking over to the window, opening it and then shutting the curtains. You couldn’t help but feel a little pang of jealousy deep inside. **It’s just a stupid little crush.** Then your eyes darted to the garage. You saw movement down there, the door opening and then the light turning on. Negan stood there, nothing but some sweatpants on. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from him, watching as he moved things around. Your eyes were taking all of him in, his bare chest, the muscles etched in his back. You watched as he started to pull something forward. Your eyes lit up when you saw a motorbike emerging to the front of the garage. You forgot you were staring until your eyes locked with Negan’s. He smiled to you, pointing to you and then the bike. You smiled, nodding. He turned away, walking out of the garage and pulling the door, before disappearing into the house. You walked away from the window and threw yourself on your bed. He was all you thought about for the rest of the night._

\--

Your heart pounded as you walked into the bar that night. You hadn’t spoken to Simon since you walked out on him earlier, the rage still burning pretty fiercely within you. You were relieved to see he wasn’t there as you put your coat and bag in his office. At least it gave you a bit of time to try and calm down before facing him. There was a guy already sat at the bar, hunched over his drink, and Jake was running around the bar, trying to serve the other groups that had gathered there. Something about this man stood out to you, but you couldn’t think what it was or why. You made your way behind the bar and the minute you stepped foot behind that bar, your world was rocked by this one voice. You didn’t even need to look at him to know exactly who it was.

“Get me another whiskey, doll.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone makes an unexpected appearance at the bar...

“Get me another whiskey, doll.”

That voice stopped you in your tracks. You’d barely walked behind the bar, and now here you were, frozen. You knew he was back, but he couldn’t be here. You refused to believe it was him. Of all the bars in this town, why would he come to this one? Your eyes move slightly, catching a quick glimpse of the figure that had spoken. That was all you needed. Those few seconds. You’d know that figure anywhere. That slicked back hair, that leather jacket. He hadn’t changed at all. His head was bowed, but you didn’t need to see his face to know it was him. The way he sat. The way his finger circled the rim of his empty whiskey glass. It was all him, there was no denying that. You felt something drop in your stomach, like all the years of blocking this man out of your life had rushed back in that second and firmly punched you straight in the stomach. You felt a tremble begin to erupt inside you, slow at first, but the anxiety was building with every passing second. You tried to calm yourself down. He didn’t know it was you, he couldn’t possibly know it was you, he hadn’t even lifted his head from that empty glass to acknowledge you. This could be quick and painless. The money sat next to the empty glass that he idly played with. All you had to do was make him the whiskey, take the money and give him the change. You didn’t even have to talk to him, just those three little steps and you could escape to the other end of the bar. I can do this. He’s just one man. You turned, reaching for a whiskey glass, your hand shaking. You swore at yourself under your breath, trying to convince yourself to get a grip, that you shouldn’t be feeling like this. The ice hit the glass with a small clink that did nothing but aggravate your nerves even more. You hand shook as you poured the whiskey into the glass. He is just one man. As you turned to face him again, you felt your body heat up, as though someone had thrown boiling water over you, the heat rising from your feet upwards. It took everything in you to push yourself forward towards him. Your eyes were locked onto him, onto this hunched over figure at your bar. He had definitely aged, there was no denying that, but it wasn’t a bad thing. You could see the fine grey hairs shining their way through his black, tousled beard. The slight wrinkles around his eyes only made him appear more human to you than he had ever done in the past. You had almost reached him when I slight movement caught you off guard. His eyes wandered up your figure, meeting with yours across the bar. The were as deep and as dark as you always remembered them, that part of him hadn’t aged a single bit. You could feel yourself get lost in them instantly, dazed by their deep colour drawing you in. His mouth parted slightly at the sight of you. You couldn’t stop yourself from loosing control. The glass slipped from your shaking hand, crashing to the floor. The sudden noise forced you to break your gaze with him, dropping straight to your knees around the broken glass. Jack rushed over, bending down beside you.

“Y/N, are you ok?” His hand on your back grounded you, forcing you to remember where you were.

“I’m sorry, I…I just…” You fumbled around on the floor, trying to pick up the broken pieces of glass, when you felt a piece slide across you palm, pain instantly radiating from the site. You swore under your breath as the blood began to pool in your palm.

“Jesus Y/N!” Jack grabbed your hand, pressing a cloth to it, “Go get it cleaned up, I’ll sort this out.”

You nod, feeling a lump stuck in your throat and tears welling in your eyes. You couldn’t even look at that figure as you rush past him to the toilets. What you didn’t see, was Negan’s gaze following you. How, when you’d dropped to your knees, he’d risen from the chair, everything in his body telling him to go to you, to see if you were alright. You slammed the door of toilets behind you, as Negan finally turned back towards the bar. You threw the cloth onto the side of the sink and ran your hand under the cold water. You stood there in silence, trying to calm yourself down as the blood swirled down into the plughole. Somehow whenever he was near, you just became a clumsy mess.

\--

_You hadn’t really seen Negan since the other night. You’d seen him in passing in the hallways at school, but your next lesson with him wasn’t until now. You couldn’t help but feel a little nervous as you made your way to the locker room. The more you thought about it, you weren’t sure if you’d just imagined him and his motorbike. You decided to push it form your mind, if he didn’t mention it then neither would you, and you doubted that he would mention anything like that while you were in school. You got changed and made your way to the track where Negan was waiting._

_The lesson went pretty quick. Negan didn’t really talk to you at all, which you were fine with, seeing as every time he spoke to you your nerves would start._

_“Ok girls, one more time round the track and you’re done.”_

_His words were met with a unanimous groan, but everyone set off for one last lap of the track. The sun was beating down and you could feel the beads of sweat dripping down your back. You wiped the sweat from your forehead and glanced around you as you ran. You looked around you, seeing some girls tailing behind you, whilst others were far in front. As you looked across the field, your eyes caught sight of Negan. Your eyes connect straight with him and you realised he was watching you too. You couldn’t take your eyes off him. There was something about this man than had you drawn in from the first time you saw him. His smile caught you off guard, causing you cheeks to blush. You were completely sucked in by him, until your face came crashing hard again the track. You laid there, dazed for a moment, before you realised what had happened. The pain searing through your head reminded you exactly where you were, sprawled out on the track. You lifted your head up, your vision slightly blurred from the hit you had just taken. You pushed yourself up to sitting when you felt the crowd of people around you. You couldn’t focus in on any of their mixed voices._

_“Come on girls, give her some air….Get out the way.”_

_You knew that voice. Negan came and knelt down beside you, his hand resting on your knee. You felt something warm and wet drip down the side of your face. Your touched the side of your head and immediately realised it was blood. Negan pushed your hair from your face. His expression was enough to let you know it was bad._

_“Ok girls, go get changed, that’s enough for today.” No one moved. They all stood there staring at you sat on the floor. “I said we’re done, now go!” Everyone suddenly jumped to life and started walking away from you and Negan. You couldn’t felt but feel slightly nervous now you were on your own with him. “Right we’re gonna get you up, ok?” You try to nod but the it only makes your head hurt worse. He slips his arm around your back and holds your hand in his. You barely have to make any effort as Negan lifts you to standing. He keeps his arm firmly around your waist as you both make your way to his office._

_His office was small, smaller than you imagined. There was a desk, a chair, and not much else. He leant you against the desk and sat in the chair, rummaging through one of the draws for something. The pain in your head was slowly starting to fade to a dull ache but the embarrassment of falling in front of Negan was still glowing in your cheeks. Negan finally pulled out a first aid kit and pulled himself towards the desk, catching you between his legs. He opened a bottle of water and poured a little onto the cloth._

_“Right, this might sting a little.”_

_You nodded and closed your eyes, bracing yourself for the pain you were about to feel. The cool cloth touched your head, causing a stinging sensation to spread through that side of your face. Negan began to gently wipe away the blood that had dried to the side of your face. You opened your eyes and realised how close he was to you. You were pinned between his legs, his face was only a few inches away from yours as he cleaned the blood up. Your heart started to pound in our chest, so hard that you ere sure he’d hear it. You could feel his breath on your skin. You daren’t look at him in case his eyes met yours, but you already knew he was staring at you. You could feel his eyes burning into your face. A sudden jolt of pain forced you to jump and let out a small whimper._

_“I’m sorry. I think that’s about as good as we’re gonna get it. All the bloods gone though. How’d you feel?” You couldn’t help but notice the genuine concern on his face. He was definitely different to all the other teachers._

_“I’m ok. My head’s sore though.”_

_You still couldn’t raise your eyes to him. You could practically feel the body heat coming off of him. He took you by surprise as his hand connected with your face, his thumb lining its way along your jaw. He gently tilted your head, forcing you to look at him. The moment your eyes connected it felt like someone had pulled all the air out of your lungs. You couldn’t stop yourself staring at them, getting completely lost in those pools of deep chocolate brown. You weren’t sure how long you both stayed like that, both oblivious to the world around you. You could feel him slowly moving towards you, and you realized you were doing the same. Reality hit you like a truck and you jumped up from the table, almost knocking Negan backwards._

_“I’m sorry, I need to go.” You pushed passed his leg and made your way to the door._

_“Y/N wait! You can’t walk home in that state, I’ll give you a ride.” He doesn’t give you much choice as the grabs his bag and follows you out of the door._

_The car ride was silent. Awkward. You felt a huge sense of relief as Negan pulled up outside of your house. You didn’t look at him as you climbed out of the car and shut the door behind you. You ran into your house, not wanting to even look at him. You heard his car pull off and onto his driveway as you shut the door. You ran straight to your room, collapsing in a bundle on the floor as soon as your door was safely locked. **What was that? He’s my teacher. Was it me?** The thoughts ran rampant through your head, reliving the moment you had shared with Negan. You knew it was wrong on so many levels, but that didn’t stop you replaying it over and over again. His hand on your face, his breath on your skin. You couldn’t even bring yourself to talk to him now, how were you supposed to face him again? **This is just a stupid little crush. Nothing is gonna happen.** And for the next few days it didn’t’…_

__

\--

The loud banging on the toilet door bought you back to reality.

“Y/N!! Y/N, you in there?” It was Simon. Someone else you had been trying to avoid. “Y/N if you don’t answer me I’m coming in!”

You quickly turned the tap off, grabbing a paper towel to try and stem the blood.

“I’m fine. I’m fine! Just…leave me alone.”

You don’t know why you even bothered as Simon pushed the door open. If he thought you were hurt, there would be no stopping him. He came straight for you, pulling you into a hug. You let out a whimper as you caught your hand against his shirt. He looks down, pulling your hand away from your chest. The blood has pooled in your palm again.

“Y/N! What happened? You’re a mess.” 

You caught sight of your reflection in the mirror and noticed your mascara had ran. You didn’t even realized you’d been crying. 

“I…I dropped a glass…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be silly!” He pulled you back into a hug, being careful not to catch you hand. “You don’t have to get yourself worked up over it. Come on, there’s a first aid kit in my office.” The words hit you hard. That memory replayed in your head again. “Y/N?”

“Sorry….umm…yeah it’ll be fine.” Simon shook his head at you, placed an arm around you and guided you towards the door.

“It definitely doesn’t look fine. Come on, we’ll get you patched up.”

As you walked through the bar, you noticed Negan was no longer at the bar. In fact, you couldn’t see him anywhere. You started to doubt whether it was actually Negan at the bar in the first place, or if it was just your mind playing tricks on you. You continued to look around as you walked to Simon’s office but the person, whoever it was, was nowhere in sight. You made your way to the office until Simon stopped you abruptly, just as you were about to go in.

“Y/N, there’s someone I want you to meet. Really good friend of mine.” 

You nodded, smiling at him. He brushed under cheek, and kissed your forehead. Even though you were still mad from earlier, as soon as you were with him again it was as if you’d forgotten all about it. He pushed the door open and you both walked inside, but the sight that met you knocked the wind out of you.

“Y/N, this is my good friend Negan.” It wasn’t in your head. He was there. Right there. Clear as day. You couldn’t speak. 

“Well…fuck me sideways…I thought it was you out there.” Negan has that familiar smug smile on his face. He rubbed his hand along his beard, letting out a slow laugh. You stare at him, frozen to the spot again. You had no idea what to do. “You not even gonna give me a hug after all these years?”

You stood there for a moment before forcing your body to take a step towards him. You couldn’t let Simon know about you and Negan. It would break his heart, and you didn’t want to be reliving it all again. 

“Sure…Hi Negan.” You took another step over to him and lent down to hug him. He immediately wrapped both arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug, so tight you could barely breathe. Your hands pushed against his shoulders, trying to distance yourself from him. As much as you tried to resist, you couldn’t help inhaling him. He smelt as good as he always had. Whiskey, leather. It bought all of those memories back to you. 

“I’ve missed you.” 

The words were so quiet you barely heard them. You jumped backwards towards Simon. You couldn’t let him do this to you again. Not now. You felt Simon’s hand creep onto the small of your back and it made you feel a little easier.

“Do you two know each other?”

Your reply of ‘No’ was quickly drowned out by Negan.

“Of course we do. I used to teach this pretty doll all kinds of things.” He slyly winked at you and you prayed to God that Simon hadn’t seen that.

“Small town ay? I bet she was a handful.” Simon pulls you into a squeeze, planting a small kiss on your cheek. Your eyes fall straight on Negan, who hasn’t taken his eyes off you since you walked in the room. His eyebrow was raised at you, a look of “what the fuck are you doing?” was stapled clearly across his face. That instantly made your blood boil. _Who is he to sit there and judge me? He walked out of my life a long time ago. I don’t need his approval!_ You had to get away from him. 

“Simon, my hand? I need to get back to Jack, he’s on his own.”

“Oh right, sorry Y/N, sit down.”

Simon busied himself cleaning your hand up properly, taking time to wipe all the blood away. You thanked your lucky stares that Simon had his back to Negan and couldn’t see the way he was looking at you. It was the same look he’d given you all those years ago. You could feel his eyes burning a hole in you but you refused to meet his gaze again. As soon as Simon had finished, you made your excuses and left, practically running out of that office. As soon as the smell of old wood and beer hit you, you began to calm down. You finished off the rest of your shift and made your excuses to Jack about needing to leave early. You hadn’t seen Simon or Negan since you left the office and you didn’t want to take any chances that Negan would still be there. Any other night you would have welcomed a ride home, but not tonight. You’d had enough Negan for one day. The cold wind stung as it hit your warm cheeks, making you tense that little bit extra. As you walked, you felt your phone go off in your pocket. Your hands were frozen but they managed to work long enough for you to see the messages on your screen.

  
**Simon** Y/N what happened? You didn’t wait for me, wanted to check you were ok. Breakfast in the morning?

You couldn’t help but smile, even though you did feel guilty for doing a runner on him again. 

  
**You** I’m sorry, hand was hurting and wanted to get home. Pick me up at 10? Xx  


You walked some more of the way with a smile on your face, thinking of the next morning you would be able to spend with Simon. No Negan. Just you and him. A relief washed over you. Your hand was still store but you didn’t have to worry about that. Simon had taken care of it. You phone buzzed again and you felt yourself get slightly giddy at Simon texting you back again, but your face dropped as soon as you saw the text. 

  
**Unknown** Was great seeing you tonight doll. You look sexier than I ever remember. I’m sure Simon won’t mind us getting close again ;)

The text made you stop dead in your tracks. _It was Negan._ Somehow, with Negan creeping back into your life, you knew things were gonna take a tumble. You couldn’t help the tear that made it’s way down your cheek, warming your cold flesh. _He really is back._


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader gets an unexpected catch up with Negan...

_“Y/N, I need to see you in my office.”_

_You’d managed to avoid Negan for almost a week now, but he’d caught you, standing against your locker, listening to the idle gossip of your friends. In all truth, you might have avoided him physically, but he’d been at the front of your mind all week. You’d even skipped class to try and avoid him, but now he’d found you in the most obvious place, the one time you let your guard down._

_“Now Y/N.”_

_He was already half way along the corridor as he shouted back to you. You grabbed your bag, saying bye to your friends and then followed sheepishly behind him. He headed straight to his office without even turning to glance at you. Once inside, you could feel your heart pounding in your chest. He went and sat at his desk and you stood there, awkwardly holding your bag to your shoulder, staring down at your feet. You raised your eyes slightly to see him sitting in his chair, staring at you, his hand idly rubbing the stubble that was spread across his chin._

_“Want to explain to me why you missed class the other day?” His voice was flat. You couldn’t tell if it was annoyance or sadness tinting it._

_“I…I went home….I was sick.” **Pathetic**. You cursed yourself at not being able to come up with a better excuse._

_“Really? That’s strange. How come I saw you walk out of here then?” You hesitated, unable to give him an answer. You’d hoped he hadn’t seen you, but he had. You couldn’t think of anything to say to him. Your mouth hung open as you tried to think of something to say. “Why have you been avoiding me?” He suddenly got up from the chair and started towards you which made you jump backwards, bumping into the wall. “Did I do something?” You shook your head. You couldn’t answer him. What were you supposed to tell him? **Oh I thought you were trying to kiss me last time we were in here but, you know, that would be stupid, because you’re my teacher.** “So what’s up?” His arm was outstretched, resting on the wall next to your head._

_“N…nothing…I just…I just feel stupid…about what happened the other day…I mean I don’t know what happened…I just…” You trailed off as you realised he had a smile on his face. You frowned, your eyes searching his face for the reason._

_"Y/N...you just said it yourself. **Nothing happened** , alright?" You nodded, almost on demand. "Right, I don't want to see you skipping anymore lessons. You're a bright girl Y/N, don't let anyone ever take that away from you." His arm dropped from the wall, allowing you to leave his office. You hurried out, your heart pounding in your chest. _

__

\--

_Your heart was pounding again as you made your way back to Negan’s office. It was the end of the day and, despite how nervous you were, you thought you’d ask him for a ride home, to try and make things normal again, at least for you. You knocked on the door and pushed it open, immediately regretting the decision. Negan was on the phone, his voice slightly raised, his head resting in his hand. He looked towards you and you immediately mouthed “sorry” to him and began to back out. He jumped forward in the chair, waving his hand, motioning for you to stay. You hesitated before shutting the door behind you and sitting down across the desk from him. Whoever he was talking to had really wound him up, you’d never seen this look on his face. His eyes were dark, almost black. He looked older, more serious than he usually did. You shifted uncomfortably in the chair whilst he argued with whoever was on the other end of the phone. You could tell him was getting more annoyed with each passing second._

__

_“Lucille, I am not doing this now. I’ll talk to you tonight,” and with that he put the phone down. He sat there for a moment, staring at the phone, before remembering you were in the room. “I’m sorry Y/N, what’s up?” You hesitated for a moment before answering._

_“I..umm…I came to see if you could give me a ride home but…I mean…you sound busy so it doesn’t matter.” You stand up to leave but Negan instantly jumped up and grabs your arm._

_“No Y/N wait!” He lets go of your arm as you look to him, “I’d love to give you a ride home, let me grab my stuff and we’re good to go alright?” He flashes you a smile and you instantly return it. He grabs his bag and escorts you out to his car._

\--

_The car ride was pretty quiet. You kept looking over at Negan, seeing that something was clearly bothering him. It was written all across his face._

_“Is everything okay Negan?” You expected him to brush you off but you were surprised when he answered you._

_“Just Lucille busting my balls as usual…nothing for you to worry about doll,” and he flashed you a quick smile before turning back to the road._

_You couldn’t help but be disappointed as Negan pulled up outside your house. Despite you hardly talking, you always enjoyed being around him. You didn’t know why, there was just something about him that drew you in. You thanked him before jumping out and watching as he pulled onto his drive. He flashed you one last smile before going into his house. You stood there for a moment, your mind consumed by this man, before realising you were stood in the middle of the street, not actually doing anything. The smallest bit of contact with this man had your mind racing. You tried to shake the thoughts from your head, turning on your heels and running inside._

\--

You hadn’t slept well at all that night. Thoughts of Negan were rampantly and continuously running through your head, replaying intimate moments you had shared with him. You woke up in a hot sweat, your body yearning for him. You hated yourself for thinking about him, for wanting him, after everything that had happened. You got out of bed and grabbed a towel, hoping that a shower would settle your mind down.

As you got out of the shower, there was a knocking at your door. You grabbed your phone off the side and looked at the time. 10.05am. _Shit!_ You ran to the door with the towel wrapped around you. Your heart pounded in your chest at the sight of who was stood there. Your eyes darted straight past Simon to the figure who was stood behind him. Simon was talking to you but you couldn’t take your eyes off Negan, who was leant against the wall with that smug smile plastered across his face.

“Y/N?...” Simon’s voice snapped you back to attention and your hand clung to the towel draped around you. “Everything ok? Why aren’t you dressed?” You looked to Simon and saw that warm smile of him, immediately putting you at ease.

“I..umm…I must have overslept. I’m sorry.” Your eyes flicked between Simon and Negan. You couldn’t help but feel disappointed that Negan was stood there, but at the same time, those old feelings were beginning to shake your core. You hated him, but at the same time you wanted nothing more than to feel his touch again.

“So are you gonna let us in or you gonna make us stand out here while you get ready?” Simon winked at you and you immediately felt your cheeks blush. You stepped to the side to let him in and he stopped to plant a small kiss on your cheek as he passed. Your heart pounded as Negan approached you, his eyes dark, staring straight into you. With just that look he made you feel like you were 18 all over again. He lent into you, his hand brushing your hip. You could feel his breath on your neck. 

“Doll…me and you need to have a little chat.” 

His lips brushed against your skin, instantly turning your legs to jelly. You could feel your stomach doing flips. A burning feeling rose from your stomach, a mixture of lust and hate for this man, you just hoped that Simon hadn’t seen him. You closed the door behind them and walker over to the door leading to your bedroom. Negan had made himself comfortable on the sofa while Simon stood near the window. You observed the two men for a moment, trying to work out how, after so many years, your life had led you back to him. 

“I’m just gonna get ready, I won’t be long.” 

Simon gave you an acknowledging smile and nod, which you returned. Then your eyes fell to Negan. That smile was still plastered across his face, his eyes burning into you. Just as you went to turn away, you caught sight of him winking at you. _In all these years, he’s not changed one bit._

\--

Simon took you to your usual place for breakfast. You’d hardly said a word as Simon and Negan had chatted the whole way through you eating. Simon had decided to sit next to you this time, his hand occasionally grazing your knee under the table. As much as you would normal love it, you couldn’t relax with Negan burning a hole in you from across the table. Simon’s phone rang and he quickly excused himself from the table. You’d been dreading this, being alone with Negan. You tried to avoid looking at him but you saw him stretch out, lean back and stare at you with a smile on his face. He let out a slow laugh and you felt your heart pounding away.

“So doll…when did this happen?” You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him again. 

“It’s none of your business.” You couldn’t help your voice shaking. You hoped that after all these years you could be adult about this, but Negan would always be a sore point for you.

“Fair play.” He sat there string at you, his eyes raking over your face, tapping his fingers on the edge of the table. You couldn’t stop the anger that was bubbling over inside from spilling all over the table. You slammed your fist onto the table, almost knocking your coffee over.

“What are you even doing back here?” You tried to slow your breathing down, adrenaline was rushing through your veins.

“There’s the girl I remember,” he let out a small laugh, “I could ask you the same question.” 

“My family is here.” Your blood was boiling. You knew you were getting angrier by the second but you couldn’t stop it. “What exactly is your excuse? I don’t see Lucille with you. Did she finally see sense and leave you?” As soon as the words left your mouth you regretted saying it. His whole demeanour changed. He slumped back in the chair, his eyes dropped down to his lap. For a moment he actually seemed human to you.

“Yeah…she’s gone. She died.” 

The words sucked the air right out of your lungs. Now Negan was the one who couldn’t look at you. You didn’t know what to do or say. The only thing you could manage to do was the reach out and grab his hand. You knew Lucille had been ill when they left but you never imaged she would die. A huge sadness fell over you. You had betrayed Lucille in the biggest way, but you would never have wished this on her, or Negan, despite how much you hated him. You quickly pulled your hand away when you noticed Simon rushing back to the table. The look on his face said it all and you knew exactly what was coming.

“I’m really sorry I…” He didn’t get chance to finish.

“You need to go?” You couldn’t hide the annoyance in your voice. He leant over to grab his coat and planet a small kiss on your cheek.

“I will make it up to you I promise. The delivery’s come and it’s messed up, I need to sort it. I’m sure Negan’ll take care of you and I’ll see both tonight ok?”

He didn’t even give you a chance to reply before he was already out of the door of the restaurant. You slumped back in the chair, staring vacantly at the cup of coffee in front of you. This was getting to become a bad habit of Simon’s. You were disturbed from your thoughts by Negan clearing his throat. 

“He do that often?” That smug smile had resumed its place back on his face. You rolled your eyes and immediately decided you weren’t doing this. You grabbed your jacket and stood up, before Negan reached across the table, grabbing your wrist. “Oh come on doll, sit down.” You glared at his hand on your wrist, and then at him.

“Get off me. You don’t get to call me doll anymore.” He let go of your wrist, letting out a slow laugh he held his hands up.

“Come on Y/N, I just wanna talk.” You looked at him, into his deep brown eyes, and all the feelings you had when you were younger came flooding back. You had tried to bury those feelings for years, tried to convince yourself that you were over him, but here, with him sat in front of you, having not changed a single bit, those feelings came back full force. You hated him so much, but also wanted nothing more than to feel his touch again. You sat down, your eyes locked onto him.

“Talk then.” You folded your arms, glaring at him across the table. You were determined not to make this easy for him.

“How’ve you been?” You couldn’t help but scoff at the question. You shook your head. _This is a mistake._

“Goodbye Negan.”

“No Y/N,” he leant forward to you grabbing your hand, “I really want to know.” You sighed. He sounded sincere, you wanted to believe he was, but you knew him all too well.

“You really wanna know? I’ve had the worst past few years of my life. Since you…” A lump appeared in your throat when you thought back to the night that Negan had left, “…since you left…my life just went…” your eyes began to fill with tears as you thought of those years spent with Ben, “It went to shit.” 

An awkward silence fell between you both. Negan squeezed your hand, something he had always done, his little way of showing some sort of affection, although you knew how rare that was for him. You sat there for a moment appreciating the small gesture, before reality brought you back to your senses. The physical contact between you felt all too normal and you pulled your hand away. 

“What happened?” 

“I really don’t wanna talk about it Negan.”

Negan didn’t say anything, he only sat there observing you. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him. You felt a tear make its way from your eye and slide down your cheek. Before you could even think about wiping it away, you felt Negan’s touch once again. His thumb brushed your cheek, wiping the tear away. His hand rested against your jaw, cradling your face. You’d forgotten how much you loved his touch, how good he felt against your skin. You closed your eyes, enjoying the feel of him. It reminded you of how it used to be, on those nights when there was just the two of you, those stolen moments when you snuck into his office. _Stop it Y/N!_ Your eyes snapped open and you jumped up from the chair, throwing your coat on.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this. I can’t be around you.” The tears were falling from your eyes. Your emotions were running wild in your head. Negan jumped up from his chair and grabbed your hand again.

“Let me walk you home.” The look on his face was sincere, but he was making the past you had tried so hard to get over real again.

“I…I can’t. I’m sorry.” And with that, you left, practically running out of the restaurant, leaving Negan alone at the table, watching you as you ran down the street.

\--

_It had been a few days since Negan gave you a ride home and you hadn’t stopped thinking about him since. You had spotted him outside his house a few times, but you hadn’t managed to talk to him. You knew it was none of your business, but you couldn’t help but think about how upset he had been on that ride home. You sat, staring out of your bedroom window when you spotted a figure pulling a motorcycle out of Negan’s garage. It was him. Without even a second thought you leapt from the window and rushed out of the house towards him. He was just putting his helmet on as you reached him._

_“Negan!” You realised how out of breath you were from that short run. Negan set his helmet back down on the motorcycle and turned to you smiling._

_“Well now….what can I do for you doll?” Your eyes zoned in on his smile, and you felt it lighting up the dusky street._

_“I…um…I wanted to see if you were ok…you know…after the other day.” You hated that you became so nervous around him. He let out a small laugh and put his hand on your shoulder, the feeling sending a hot rush through your body._

_“You’re checking in on me?” He let out another laugh and leaned against his bike, folding his arms across his chest. “That sweet, doll…I’m fine.” You hadn’t really planned much after this and you were unsure what to say. You smiled at him and then turned around, ready to walk home. Negan reached out, grabbing your arm. “You wanna come for a ride?” Your heart begins to pound in your chest at his words._

_“Can I?” Your voice is shaky, and Negan laughs at how nervous you are._

_“Sure. Here, put these on.”_

_He walks away and comes back with a helmet and leather jacket. He helps you put the jacket on and then slips the helmet on your head, securing it under your chin. Negan climbed on the bike and then motioned for you to climb on. You climbed on, trying not push yourself too close to Negan. He didn’t give you much choice though as he grabbed your hand and pulled it firmly around his waist, forcing your body to jolt forward against his._

_“Hold on tight, ok?”_

_You instantly wrapped your other arm around him and the bike roared into action. You held on tight and rested your head against his back as the bike rumbled out onto the street and then sped away down the road._

__

\--

_Negan had driven across town and pulled into a quiet park that overlooked the town. It was getting dark but you felt safe with Negan. You were perched on his bike as he lent against it. Neither of you said anything, you just sat observing the town lights. You were still wearing the jacket Negan had given you. It smelt exactly like him and you couldn’t help but hold it close to you, inhaling it. Your body was still recovering from the adrenaline rush of being on a motorcycle for the first time and your body was still feeling the vibrations from it. You tried to stop yourself from shaking but the air was cooling now and the slight chill from the wind only amplified your shaking. Negan looked over at you, a slight concern on his face._

_“You alright doll? I can feel you shaking.” You nodded, smiling at him._

_“Yeah, I’m fine, just a bit cold.”_ _He winked at you and moved closer, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you close to his chest. The sudden gesture made your heart thump in your chest, it was so hard you were sure Negan was going to feel it. That familiar lump had appeared in your throat and you found it hard to swallow. Negan held you close, not loosening his grip at all. You’re not sure how long you stayed like that until Negan pulled away slightly. You looked up at him and realised he was staring at you. You’d never seen the look on his face before. His eyes had darkened, there was something burning in them. Your hand had absently gliding to his chest, resting in the centre. You could feel his heart pounding underneath, just as hard as yours was. He brushed a stray hair away from your face, his thumb lining its way along your jaw. You knew what was about to happen and you knew it shouldn’t but you couldn’t force your body away from him. His lips closed in on yours and the moment they touched it felt like a huge eruption inside of you. They were soft against yours, the heat travelled from his lips to yours. In that moment it felt like everything was stood still. You knew in your head that this was wrong, that you shouldn’t be doing this, but your body wouldn’t let you pull away. Negan held you tightly against him, his lips moving against yours. When he finally pulled away from you, you felt like you ere finally able to breathe again, as if the kiss had pulled all the air from your lungs. You looked up at him and his face had changed. There was now concern on it, a sadness had crept in behind his eyes. He dropped his arms from you and turned around to grab his helmet._

_“I’m sorry. I should take you home.”_

_Without even glancing in your direction he passes you your helmet. You don’t utter a word to him and climb on the bike after him. You were still trying to process what had just happened. You knew it was wrong, but that kiss, being with him. For a moment it felt like that was how it was supposed to be. Negan didn’t utter another word to you. When you arrived back at his house, you silently took off the jacket and helmet and placed it on the bike. Negan still refused to look as you and you felt a huge sadness wash over you as you walked away. You looked back over to him before entering your house and saw him hunched over, leaning on the bike, as though he was deep in thought. You took one last look at him and walked in your house, still playing that kiss on repeat in your head._


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast with Simon takes a very unexpected turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has taken me so long to update this! I've had a crazy few months, recently found out I was pregnant so roll on maternity leave when I'll be updating like there's no tomorrow! haha, thanks if you're still here reading!

Your hands shook as you cradled the cup of coffee between them. The thought of having to face Negan again later at the bar was making you feel sick. You had spent years trying to get over him, and now here he was, large as life. You were just thankful that, for the moment, Simon didn't have a clue that you and Negan had more than just a student-teacher relationship. This coffee shop had always been your favourite. The dark walls, the open fire, the smell of freshly roasted coffee. You always found yourself here when you needed to be alone. You couldn't even remember walking here; your feet had led the way. Your mind had been clouded by thoughts of Negan, your vision burred by your tears. Each sip of coffee warmed your insides and calmed your mind. You stared into the fire, watching the flames dance around the logs, lost within your thoughts, when a mug being placed on the table distracted you away from the fire. _Black coffee_. 

"Negan...just leave me alone." 

After all these years, he was still the only person you knew who drank black coffee. The reason you had started to drink black coffee. He pulled the chair out across from you and sat down. You stared deep into your coffee, trying to ignore his presence. You both sat in silence for at least 15 minutes before you couldn't take it any longer. 

"Did you follow me?" He smiled and you couldn't help but catch a glimpse of it as your eyes darted up from your coffee. Everything about him was just as you remembered, only different. 

"I didn't need to follow you doll...You haven't changed at all. I figured you'd either be here or at home...and since here is closer...well, here I am." You shook your head. He knew you better than anyone. "So...you gonna talk to me?" You sighed, your eyes meeting his. 

"Do I have a choice?" He laughed, clearly amused by the attitude in your voice. 

"So tell me what happened." You took a deep breath, fighting back the tears that were gathering in your eyes. 

"You left me Negan. You were the only good thing in my life and you left. I lost..." You could feel the lump in your throat as you thought back to the weeks after he had left. "I lost everything...and then I ran away, at the first chance I got. I tried to forget...everything." 

"I'm sorry." He reached a hand over to yours, squeezing you. You didn't have the energy to fight him off this time. 

"There's no point Negan. I had to deal with it all. Do you know what it was like having to walk through this town and everyone know?" You wiped a stray tear from your face. "All I wanted was you to be there with me. I couldn't take it anymore so the first chance I got, I left...and it was the biggest mistake in my life." 

"Even bigger than me?" You shook your head. 

"You were never a mistake Negan." Your words lingered in the air between you. 

"I love you Y/N." You jolted your hand away from him. A frown spread across your face. 

"Stop it." He reached over and pulled your hand back into his. 

"No. I never stopped. I know I left, I had to. For Lucille. But that doesn't mean I ever stopped loving you, and as soon as Simon told me about this new girl he'd hired, I just knew it was you. I had to come back. Fuck doll...you're all I've thought about since the moment I left." You wiped another tear away. You had spent years trying to run away from this life...from him...but he'd caught up with you in the worst way possible. 

"Negan....I can't. I can't put my mom through this again. I can't do this to Simon." 

"Tell me...tell me you don't love me anymore and I'll leave. I'll leave you and Simon to whatever it is you're doing...and I'll go. Just tell me." 

"I don't love you." You voice shook as you spoke. Even you didn't believe the words that had come so robotically out of your mouth. 

"I don't believe you," his voice was deep, tainted with a yearning, "and I'm not going until I believe you or you come with me." 

"I have to go." You jumped up from the chair, but Negan moved in sync with you. 

"Let me walk you home. You're in a state. At least then I know your safe. I know you have a tendency to walk off." 

There was no use arguing with him. You threw your coat on and made your way out of the coffee shop as he followed behind.

\--

You had both walked back to your apartment in silence. There was nothing left to say. Negan had said it all and his words repeated over and over in your head. You reached your building but you didn't bother stopping. You knew this man too well and knew he would walk you right to your door before he left. You pulled out your key and put it in the lock. As you pushed the door open you turned to Negan, and you couldn't stop what happened next. His lips crashed against yours, his hands wrapping around your waist, pulling you into him. Everything in your head was telling you to pull away, but there was something stopping you. You had waited years to feel this again. Against your better judgement, your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him inside of your apartment. He pushed the door shut, his lips never leaving yours. Your mind was racing but all you knew was that, in that moment, you didn't want this to end. You peeled your coat off as Negan's lips left yours and made their way along your neck, sucking and biting. A small moan escaped from your lips. After all of these years he hadn't forgotten that you loved that. You pushed his leather jacket from his shoulders, letting it fall to the fall as you clumsily tried to navigate your way to the bedroom. You kicked off your boots as you reached the edge of your bed, falling backwards as you failed to keep your balance. You let out a small laugh and immediately sat back up, grabbing Negan's his and pulling him towards you. You fumbled with his belt, throwing it to the ground as you began to undo his trousers. They fell to the fall, revealing his bulging erection, only contained by the thin material of his boxers. He leant down to kiss your lips before pushing you further up the bed. He pulled your trousers from your body without any effort and tossed them to the floor. He panted soft kisses along your leg as he made his way back to your underwear. Your heart pounded in your chest as he slowly slipped them down your legs. He knelt above you, his eyes soaking the picture of you laid there. He bit his lip, his eyes heavy with lust. You wanted him, more than anything. 

"Negan..." His name escaped your lips and he bent down to you, allowing his erection to spring free from his boxers. You felt his position himself, pressing against your wet entrance. His eyes met yours. You'd forgotten how much you used to get lost in them, the deep brown sucking you in once more. 

"You sure about this?" 

"No." 

You were barely able to speak, the anticipation making your body shake underneath him. Your head kept telling you this was wrong, but your body said otherwise. He smiled and paused for a second before pushing himself into you. The sudden movement caused you to let out a gasp as your body stretched around him. He didn't give you time to adjust as he pulled back and then pushed hard into you again. He went harder and deeper with each thrust, your moans quickly filling the room. Your nails dug into his shoulders through his top as you clung onto him. He tangled his hand into your hand, pulling your head backwards, making your moans even louder. He buried his face into your neck as his thrusts became harder and more erratic. You could feel your orgasm building with each thrust. Negan's grip on you tightened as you reached your climax. Your whole body shook underneath him, his name escaping your lips. He gave one final thrust before collapsing on top of you, his breathing quick and shallow. You ran your fingers through the back of his hair as you tried to catch your breath, ecstasy still coursing through your veins. You had waited so long to feel this again.

\--

_Negan had completely avoided you since that kiss. It was all you'd been able to think about. His lips against yours. You knew it was wrong but something about him felt so right. You'd tried to get him to notice you, to acknowledge you but it was no use. He was acting as if you didn't exist. This gym class was the closest you'd been to him since that kiss, but he was still acting like you weren't there. You had basically ignored him this whole class but he still refused to speak to you. You slumped down on the grass, watching the rest of your class running around the field. He didn't once look over at you. As you sat watching, a frown firmly imprinted on your face, you saw someone walking towards you. As he neared, you realised it was Max, you'd not really spoken, but you knew he was in a few of your classes._

_"Y/N right?" He stood above you, smiling. You nod at him. "Mind if I sit?"_

_"No...go ahead." You're shocked as he chooses to sit right next to you. He leans back and his arm is almost rested behind you. There was an awkward silence between you and you weren't sure how to break it. You'd never said more than two words to each other, and by all means, he was more popular than you._

_"So there's a party this weekend...you wanna come with me?" You looked to him, puzzled._

_"Why me?" He leant across, his face almost touching yours, his hand trailed from your knee, up your thigh and towards the hem of your gym shorts._

_"Why not? It's gonna be a good night, I want you to come with me."_

_Your eyes darted over to Negan for a split second and saw him looking in your direction. You weren't sure what overcame you, but he was looking and you wanted to get his attention. You trailed your hand up his arm, bringing your lips close to his._

_"Sure. I'll come."_

_Max smiled and pressed his lips to yours. You were taken back by it and pulled back. Just as you did you heard him. His voice booming across the field._

_"Y/N! My office now! Max! Get out of my sight!" He was storming towards you both. Max laughed and pulled away, standing up._

_"I'll pick you up Saturday at 7." He winked as he walked past Negan, making sure to barge his shoulder into his. Negan's face was like thunder, but he didn't move. His eyes never left you._

_"Did I stutter?" His voice was calm, but you could tell there was an absolute fire burning behind it. He leant down, grabbing your arm and pulling you to your feet. He marched you to his office, not once letting go of your arm._

_Once you were inside, he let go of your arm, giving you a small push._

_"What the shit was that?!"_

_"What was what?" Your voice shook, but you tried not to let it show._

_"With him. He had his hands all over you! You looked like a cheap whore." Your mouth fell open at his words. You didn't know what to say. He'd never spoken to you like this, and you weren't sure why he was acting like this. He'd been ignoring you for days, he was pushing you away. He sighed and walked over to his chair, slumping down in it with his hand over his eyes. You just stood there, unable to move, still trying to process what he had said to you. "Y/N I'm sorry. I just...I just got so jealous seeing him like that with you."_

_You looked at him, confusion drawn all over your face. He'd kissed you, ignored you for days and now was saying he's jealous. When you didn't say anything, he looked up to you and saw your face._

_"Y/N...shit...come here." He motioned for you to go to him. You walked over and leant against the desk. He moved his chair so you were trapped between his legs. "Y/N...I shouldn't have kissed you the other night. I'm sorry. Shit's just falling apart at the moment...I shouldn't have dragged you into this."_

_"I didn't mind..." You voice shook as you spoke. Your nerves were erratic, but that didn't stop you wanting him. He shook his head at your words._

_"No Y/N...I can't do this. You’re my student. I could get into a lot of trouble."_

_You shifted your weight onto your other hip and you saw his eyes drift from your legs, taking in each inch of your body. You felt your heart start to race. Since you'd met this man he'd been on your mind every single day. **It's now or never.** You began to tremble as you leant towards him. You'd never felt like this before, you'd never even kissed anyone, but you knew that with Negan it felt good. It made you feel good. You pressed your lips to his, expecting him to pull away, but he didn't. Instead he grabbed your hips, pulling you onto his knee. You straddled him, blood coursing through your veins. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he pulled your body close against his. You could feel the bulge beneath his joggers growing and couldn't help rolling your hips against him, the friction causing a feeling you'd never felt before. Negan let out a groan before pulling away, using his hands to steady your hips. _

_"Fuck...doll...I can't do this....you're just a kid." You frowned at him._

_"I am not a kid Negan. I'm 18 in a few months." He leant his head back against the chair._

_"You know what I mean. If we get caught...if I get caught...shit I could go to jail for this."_

_The realisation of what he was saying suddenly dawned on you and you came crashing back to the moment. **What am I doing?** You jumped backwards from his knee, almost falling into the table. _

_"I'm sorry...I...I just...I have to go."_

_You quickly ran out of the office, grabbed your stuff from your locker and left. You heard Negan call after you but you just wanted to escape. Your face was burning bright red, and you wanted nothing more than to go home and hide until you were next forced to see him._

__

\--

_As you walked along the road you heard the familiar rumble of Negan's car approaching. You looked back to see. It was him alright. The car was slowing down, you knew he must have seen you. **Shit.** As it pulled alongside you, you looked over to see him peering out at you. _

_"Y/N, get in the car. Please." You could never say no to him. You rolled your eyes and climbed in. You didn't want him to say anything to you. You wanted to forget all about what had happened in his office, but Negan didn't. "Shit Y/N...you've got me all kinds of messed up right now."_

_"It doesn't matter Negan." You didn't want to hear this. You had acted like an idiot, and now this was the part where he blew you off._

_"No it does. I can't stop thinking about you. I don't know what it is but there's something about you. I do want you Y/N." Your heart skipped a beat at those words. "But I can't have you...not yet. You're just a kid, but..." You open your mouth to protest but he carries on, "As soon as you turn 18, the second, you best believe I am coming for you."_

_He comes to a stop outside your house and you have no idea what to say to him. Your heart is pounding in your chest. He leans across to you, his lips brushing against yours once more. You didn't want the moment to end._

_"You can't tell anyone, okay? I could get into a lot of trouble for this." You nod staring deep into his brown eyes that were tainted with lust._

_"I won't." He kisses you one more time before allowing you to climb out of the car. **What is happening?** You spent the rest of the night in disbelief of what had happened that day. _

__

\--

"Negan will you get up?" You pull your jeans on and hit his leg, forcing him to sit up, an amused look spread across his face. "Negan! It's not funny! You need to go." He lets out a laugh, standing from the bed and pulling you into his arms. 

"What's the rush? I enjoyed that little catch up." He buries his face into your neck, kissing and nipping at the bare skin. You let out a sigh, not wanting him to stop, but knowing this was wrong. You give him a hard shove. 

"Negan! That shouldn't have happened. You need to go. I have to go to work." He smiled, walking out of the bedroom and grabbing his leather jacket from the floor. 

"Just like old times." He winked at you and it only served to wind you up even more. You stomped over to him and pushed him towards the door. 

"Just get out!" He stopped at the door and turned, pulling you back into his arms. You fought against him but everything in your body wanted him again. 

"Wait till I tell Simon about this." A huge smile was spread across his face. You frowned, hitting him in the chest. 

"You can't tell him Negan! Please don't tell him." He let out a laugh and kissed your lips again. 

"What do you take me for? It's our little secret." He let you go, opening the door to leave. "Just like old times." 

You slammed the door shut after him, leaning against it with your whole body trembling. _What have I done? What am I doing?_ Just as easily as he'd walked back into your life, he'd walked back into your bed as well. You had no idea what to say to Simon. You didn't even want to see Simon. You could smell Negan lingering on you, so you decided to take a shower before you headed out, hoping it would also help clear your head.

\--

As you walked into the bar that night, your eyes fell straight to the bar, which was pretty empty, aside from a few regulars. You smiled at Jack before walking to Simon's office. Negan had been running through your mind since he left. You cursed yourself for falling so easily into his trap again but it had felt so good. You forgot how much you loved being with him, having him touch and kiss you. But things were different now. **He** was a different person. **You** were a different person. And you were seeing Simon now. You couldn't let Negan back into your life again. Not again. As you neared Simon's office, you could hear laughing coming from inside. You stopped for a minute before barging in. 

"Don't keep a man in suspense then! Who was it?" 

"Just someone I used to know...from the school." 

"We talking teacher or student?" 

"Come one Si...you saw the women I used to work with, what'd you think?" 

"Negan...you sly fucker. So what's her name? Do I know her?" 

You'd heard enough. You barged into the room, not bothering to knock. Your eyes locked straight onto Negan, who sat, smiling smugly in the chair. 

"Y/N what's up? You look flustered." Simon came and wrapped an arm around you, planting a kiss on your cheek. It took a moment for you to respond, trying to come up with a reason why you had barged in, red faced. 

"I...I thought I was late...I'm sorry." Simon let out a laugh and squeezed you. 

"Don't be silly, I don't mind if you're a bit late. Come on, have a seat," He pulled out his chair for you and you sat down, flashing him a smile, "Negan was just telling me about his latest hook up." 

"Really?" You flashed him a look, and he stared intently back at you. "Anyone I know?" 

"No...just some girl I used to see." His eyes didn't leave you for a single second. You wondered if Simon had noticed him staring at you. 

"This is what I don't get Negan! All these years I've known you, you've never gone back to a woman, especially not one you've already bedded." Simon stood there smiling at Negan, his arms folded across his chest. Negan threw his hands up and laughed. 

"What can I say? She had me hooked from the start." Negan looked in your direction and winked. You quickly looked away, hoping Simon hadn't seen the small gesture. You couldn't sit here and listen to this anymore. 

"I need to get to work." You quickly jumped up, leaving a small kiss on Simon's cheek. 

"I'll take you home later okay?" You nodded at Simon and quickly left without glancing back at Negan. _Why did he have to come back?_ You cursed yourself again for the day's earlier events, but Negan's words played over and over in your head. Just when you thought you could finally forget him, you'd fallen right back into his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Gone for a different vibe with this one, pre apocalypse so don't be expecting any walkers jumping out! Hope you enjoy it and if you do, be sure to check out my other work! Comments and kudos always greatly appreciated =) Thanks guys x


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